Nut milk love at first sight. I’ve been enjoying my own nut milk for the past 3 weeks. And it has become part of my Sunday afternoon food prep for the week.

There is nothing better than making something you love yourself. Also, it is hell of a lot cheaper, fresher, and you can customize the hell out it.

The basic recipe, if you can call it that, is a 1:4 ratio of soaked nuts to cold water + any type of sweetener if you want it (1-2 soaked date, stevia, honey, sugar). Blend in a good blender or food processor and strainingng the pulp if you desire. Which, I do desire. And done.

After doing a basic unsweetened with both almonds and cashews, I got fancy.

Vanilla Cardamom Cashew Nut Milk

Ingredients:

1 cup cashews, soaked overnight in the refrigerator

4 cups cold water

1 pitted,soaked date (I soaked it right with the cashews)

couple drops of vanilla flavoring

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp cardamom

Directions:

Combine everything in blender/food processor (I use the Ninja) and blend for 1 -2 minutes

Happy September first everyone! This is my favorite month. I flew up out of bed this morning and gave Bryan a kiss. Then, I immediately sent my mom text. September makes me miss Upstate NY and my mom. Specifically, her chicken soup and apple pie. However, I share Gretchen’s sentiment that although it is September 1st, it is not yet Fall. September 1st means it is very close! I will sing my praises of Fall when the time is right. When I smell it in the air.

Moving right along –

I was very pleased with myself this morning. I got my run in, and I also did everything I was suppose to keep my injury in check. Since Tuesday was my last (hopefully) PT appointment, my wonderful therapist kept stressing that I CANNOT skip warming up and cooling down. Blaaah, fine.

I started with something I learned from playing rugby for NY: dynamic stretching. This is not the traditional form of stretching where you lengthen a muscle and hold. This type of stretching is for after a run, or whatever workout you are doing. Dynamic stretching involves range of motion movements to loosen up muscles and get the blood flowing so your body is ready for physical performance.

Some typical dynamic stretches are:

Leg Swings – Hold on to a wall, or a buddy, and swing leg out to the side and then back across your body. Do 10-12 on each side.

Walking lunges – No weights. I also like to add a twist to the same side as my raised knee.

Straight Leg March – Walk forward by swinging leg straight out in front of you and trying to touch your opposite hand

Butt Kicks

Fire Hydrant – On all fours lift leg to hip height and back down. Do 10-12 on each side.

Hip Circles

Arm Circles

I power walked a few blocks before picking up into my jogging pace for the run. Warm up complete! Pat on the back.

After my run, it was time to power walk again, do the traditional static stretches focusing on hamstrings, piriformis (butt/hip), and calf stretches. It is important to hold these stretches for at least 20-30 seconds, otherwise it is pointless. And finally, the dreaded foam roller on my IT band.

I have to say this really made a difference. It’s awful how many things I have had to learn the hard way. It takes more time, but I know now it is definitely worth it. A proper warm-up and cool down will no longer be one of those things I will do if I can, which means I will be lazy and skip it. Dynamic stretching prior and static stretching after with foam rolling are going to become permanent fixtures to my exercise routines. It is necessary to prevent injury.

I left you guys hanging last night on What I Ate Wednesday. Oops : / So here is a look at the first half of today.

Lunch: I was planning to stop spending money and eat at home, but then my roommate texted. After listening to my praise Just Salad the other day he had to try it. I had to go with him, right? What choice did I have.

These chopped salads are the best! I got a repeat of the same Hudson Valley: Baby Spinach, Butternut Squash, Broccoli, Apples, Goat Cheese, Beets, Pumpkin Seeds, Multigrain Croutons. I nixed the croutons and added egg whites. This time a went with the low fat yogurt cucumber dressing. <3!

Evening all! Today was a pretty solid day. It started out with yoga and ended with a group run. And I was pretty productive at work. My western blot (protein analysis) can out with a pretty good result. Yay! Can’t ask for better.

I always feel good when I start a day off with yoga. I woke up pretty early to make the first class at Yoga to the People East Village. Yoga to the People is a chain of donation based studios located in New York, Seattle, San Fran, and Berkley. This studio has 60 minute vinyasa classes. I have read both really positive and negative reviews. My opinion – I love it. I have only been to the East Village location for 3 morning classes. They have been some of best yoga work outs I have had. They do a really good job with the sequence and the pace of the class.This morning the instructor did a number of long chair poses and included some tough ab work in boat pose. I like when classes really focus on strength training. It takes the practice to the next level for me, and I get a good sweat out of it. I love the deep stretching I get with yoga, but I also like to feel a burn. I have gotten that out of all 3 classes at YTTP. I may even go tomorrow. My knee actually felt great when I left there this morning. The mile walk down it was acting up, but the way back it was great.

The only negative is that the class is pretty packed. I thought that might bother me, but it doesn’t. It is such a good workout and a great price (pay what you can/want) that I really don’t even mind all the people. I usually pick a spot near the front corner. I really recommend trying YTTP if you have one near you.

Next month, I will be trying out their hot yoga studio on 27th St. Keelie from Sweat = Success is awesome and is planning an NYC Blogger meet-up. It is going to be on September 25th and after class we are doing brunch (my favorite meal!) If you are interested in going head over to her blog for more info!

Now it is time for What I Ate Wednesday!

This is a weekly party started by Peas and Crayons. This is the one day a week where you get a full look into an entire day of eats for me.

Love that have been getting to enjoy a little chocolate with some healthy benefits. Besides this probiotic chocolate bar, which was really good and only 80 calories, I have also been getting my calcium through Adora Discs. Yum!

Here is the eggplant recipe:

Cous Cous and White Bean Stuffed Eggplants

This was a recipe I came up with quick using ingredients I had to use up in the fridge. I picked up these fairytale eggplants last week at the market. They were the cutest damn things ever! They are mini eggplants, and would you expect anything else but adorable from something with fairytale in the name? Bryan started steaming them before I got home, so I never got a picture. I steamed the eggplants but you could also bake them if you do not have a steamer. This recipe (if you can even call it that) is great because it is easy and delicious. I just used things I had on hand. You can use any whole grain, bean, and herbs you have, not necessary what I used here.

Ingredients (Serves 2):

2 fairytale or baby eggplants

1/3 cup dry whole wheat couscous (cooked according to package)

1/3 cup cannellini beans (drained and rinsed)

1 cube of TJ’s frozen basil

salt, pepper, dry thyme

fat free feta crumbles and walnuts for garnish (optional but tasty!)

Directions:

Wash and cut eggplant in half lengthwise

Steam for 10 minutes or until tender and skin darkens to brown

While eggplant is steaming cook couscous

Scoop out the meat in the eggplant, leaving just enough to keep shape.

Combine eggplant meat, couscous, beans, spices, and herbs in a bowl

Spoon mixture back into eggplant

Sprinkle with feta and walnut pieces and serve!

How was your day? What was the best part about it? I can’t even pick yoga, running, a new recipe. It was all good.

Today is a lazy Saturday morning. I would normally be up running or spinning, but alas I am still nursing my IT band problem. So instead, I took a leisurely walk to get coffee and sat in Madison Square Park for a bit. The weather was perfect this morning at 70 degrees and sunny and the park was so quiet at 8am.

The Empire State Building is there in the background, but you can just barely make it out.

Bryan was still sleeping when I got back. I’m not very good at being lazy and just lying around, but I figure since I have no choice I might as well try to enjoy it. So, I crawled back in bed with him a bit. For those of you who have not been in a very long term relationship – here is what good morning sounds like after almost 7 years. Yes that is right, I said 7 years. Nope, no ring.

Me: Hey.

Bryan: Hey booboo, you smell like coffee.

Me: You smell like death.

Bryan: Come cuddle.

And there you have it folks. Love.

My physical therapist has assured me that depending on the pain, I can probably start back slowly next week. Until then, I will continue my tear inducing foam rolling sessions everyday. The only thing that gets me through them is the fact that it is for the greater good of my legs. Another quick tip I’ve discovered on foam rolling, if you have someone to help you should definitely take it. Another person can apply much more pressure than you can to yourself. It will hurt more, but just breath and know the more it hurts the more it helps.

Now on to the real post. I started this blog back in March and still have not done a post on My Food Philosophy. I do not like to label my diet because that is a lot of pressure to fit a certain mold. If I had to give it a name though, my diet would resemble that of “clean eating.” The main ideas of clean eating and my personal guidelines are very similar.

Freckles and Spice Food Guidelines for a Healthy Life:

Lifestyle Change. The first is the most important. The word diet here is a noun, not a verb, and means the kinds of food that I habitually eat. This is a major point. This is a lifestyle change, not a temporary crash diet or food restriction to lose weight. I have lost 45 pounds since changing my lifestyle, but the overall results are a healthier, stronger, and more satisfied body.

Eat Whole, Natural foods. Plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables, whole grains, and lean protein. Fresh or frozen produce over canned or fruit juices.The less processed a food is the better. Processing foods takes away from its nutritional value and almost always adds unnecessary ingredients such as sodium, preservatives, and other artificial ingredients. Along those lines I try to buy all natural, grass-fed, and hormone free meats and dairy.

Eat ~5 meals a day. I aim to eat about 5 meals a day: 3 medium meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner) and 2 small meals or snacks that are about 100-250 calories or so. My medium meals are usually 300-500 calories. I find anything larger is hard for me to digest. In addition, eating more frequent smaller meals keeps your blood sugar stable. Low dips and high spikes in blood sugar levels muck with your metabolism. And breakfast is a definite must!

Limit Alcohol or exclude it complete: Alcohol is basically just fermented sugar and does not provide the body with anything nutritionally.

80/20 Ratio: No one can be perfect 100% of the time. And you can go crazy trying to analyze absolutely everything. I strive the eat clean 80% of the time. This point goes back to the idea that balance is key. A little give a take. If I want to indulge I “budget” for it. The example you see often is if you want to dessert after dinner, then pass on an app or bread basket.

The main idea is to fuel my body with the best and most nutritional ingredients I can.

The great thing about eating clean is that it very intuitive. When I first started to change the way I viewed food I did not know what clean eating was. I just knew my body was craving real food to power it. It was after I started doing more research that I discovered the world of clean eating, and healthy living blogging.

And cleaning eating is easy! A common CE phrase is “If it is man made, don’t eat it.” I think that is pretty easy to remember and maintain. Also, whole natural foods are everywhere and abundant. My food philosophy and the ideas of Clean Eating are common and simple. And I think, it is these things that tend to work the best.

“A little simplification would be the first step toward rational living, I think.” Eleanor Roosevelt

Happy August! This year is flying by. I love that Fall is coming, but that means winter is shortly behind *shudder*

July was a decent month. Here is what I learned/discovered in July:

1) Blogging makes me happy. I came back after a month hiatus. I found that blogging takes up a lot of time, but I was happier doing it than not. Blogging is beneficial to me, because writing helps me find myself, and it makes me reflect on my life and if I am living each day the way I want to.

2) Facing Fears is Good! – I joined a run club after debating about it since March. I bought a ticket to the Healthy Living summit. It is not for another 3 weeks, but I have already made connections with other bloggers and found so many great new ones. I rode my bike cross-town and can’t wait to make it regular part of my commuting around the city.

3) Twitter is awesome! – I am slightly obsessed actually.

4) Americano coffee – This is espresso diluted with equal parts water. Sounds gross, but it is great. The espresso has a bolder, richer flavor that drip coffee and has less caffeine. 75 mg per shot, compared with about 150 mg in a Starbucks tall.

Now, I have to keep the momentum going for August. My August goals:

1) Half Marathon training – I think I’m going to do it. Registration opened today and I think I’m going to bite the bullet and take on the Staten Island Half. That gives me 10 weeks….ekkk!

2) Yoga 1-2 a week. If my joints are going to hold up for the race. I am going to need this. I did good during June then not so much

3) Get back to strength training 2-3 times per week. Summer fun has taken a toll on my routine.

4) Get back to meal planning/cooking at home. With the heat, Bryan and I started eating out wayyy too much again. And I have some great new recipes up my sleeve I want to try.

5) Work on photography – My blog pictures are either eh or non-existent.

August 1st, so far so good! I woke up this morning and went for a 2.25 mile run. Honestly, my legs were so stiff I’m surprised I made it anywhere. But I have a goal and I’m going to stick to it! And I ate every meal at home!

Bryan and I are having a date day. He is actually off this weekend. Say whaaa??? I know right. This is the first time in 13 days the alarms has not gone off at 6 am. Hallelujah!

So, I slept in….which means I was up at 720 and out the door running by 740. Bryan skipped out on this part of date day. I almost did too. But as usual, I am so glad I did. I wish I was one of those people that absolutely loves running and hardly ever has to convince themselves to get up and go. I am not. I like it and usually happy once I am out. But I do not love it yet. Running is hard man and sometimes my legs are just stiff bricks. So, what is a girl to do? Here are some motivational things I found useful this morning:

I remind myself that you never regret a work out, but you regret NOT working out. This usually does the trick. I have found that those common fitness/diet tips you hear so often almost always are true. Hence, the reason you hear them so much.

Negotiate with myself. Maybe I am really sore/tired. Okay, lets do the elliptical instead, or plan a shorter distance. How about just get out and do a mile and check back in with myself. Usually, I find that once I’m out I feel good and can keep going. If I’m still feeling ehh, then I’m done. Something is better than nothing, and I can always try again later.

Dangle a reward. If I get out and exercise, then I can stop off for a good coffee at my favorite place or an egg sandwich on the way home today. I try not to do the reward thing often but on really rough days, why not. Or instead of getting it out, tell myself I will add a special ingredient my usual breakfast when I get back. Say some nut butter or chocolate covered almonds to my oats or something.

Usually one of them does the trick, today I incorporated all three. Still coming off of Wednesday 4.5 mile high. I decided it was fine to do a shorter easy run. Usually, I think to think go big, or go home. But going small is definitely a better option than not at all. I set out to do only 1.75-2 miles. It was a really nice morning and I ended up enjoying a 2.6 mile run and going to down to do something strength training when I got back. Back + Biceps + Abs. I will post the routine in this week in work outs.

Check out the new run skirt:

I got a Champion running skirt at Target for only $15 a few weeks ago and have yet to use it. The verdict! Love it! The skirt is more comfortable than shorts.

After the work out, date day was back on with my number 3 motivational tool. I made Green Monster Protein Pancakes. I actually didn’t think of this until I was on my run. Maybe it is what kept me going further. I’m sure I’ve seen them on another blog a some point and that’s where I got the idea.

GM Protein Pancakes (For 2):

Combine these ingredients into blender and blend until combined

2/3 c. of milk of choice, I used unsweetened chocolate almond today

2 big handfuls of spinach

2/3 c. old fashion oats

1 1/2 scoops of choc. sunwarrior protein powder

1 egg white

1 tsp baking powder

1/3 packet stevia – just a touch of sweetness

topped these with 1 mashed banana (split btw the 2 of us) and walnuts. Bryan also added a drizzle of agave syrup on top.

This made 4 medium pancakes (1/4 c. scoops of batter) and 1 more slightly smaller pancake. Bryan gladly took the extra. I was pumped that he liked them. He is always leery when I start “making weird things.” But I’ve never made a weird thing he didn’t like.

We just got back from see at 1pm showing of Captain America (thumbs up by the way) and eating leftovers for lunch. Salad for me and indian for him.

Now, I think we are off to continue date day at a coffee shop to get work done. Or maybe we will just find ourselves at a Wine bar with outdoor seating instead 🙂

What is your pancake topping of choice? I think some berries dropped into the batter would have been really good too.

As I explained briefly this morning, I am revamping the blog with the hopes that it will be the less clumsy and more the blog I want it to be. But I am going to keep writing what I can here until I get the new and improved blog up and running.

I will get my boyfriend back this Thursday. Bryan is finally taking Step 1 of his medical exam boards, after non-stop 14 hour a day studying. During this time, I have literally been doing everything for him, short of spoon feeding him. I am sure if I had offered to that he would have happily agreed. For the most part, I am happy to help. We have hit a few rough patches during this time. Unfortunately, when he stops studying I need to start studying for my GRE, which is NEXT month. Ahhhh! Fortunately though, Bryan has promised to take care of me when it is my turn to buckle down. I’m a bit nervous. I do not know if I want to relinquish the cooking responsibilities. The bathroom, laundry, and dishes he can definitely have, no problem. But cooking I like, and while Bryan is a decent cook he doesn’t really keep healthy in mind. We will see.

Also, on that topic Bryan requested his burger last night to served over greens instead of on bread. OH HAPPY DAY! Small strides. He has really been enjoying everything I have been making. I have been slacking on getting recipes up. But they have been good!

After Bryan’s exam we are leaving Friday for the moutains western North Carolina – Bryson City/ Asheville area. We are really excited. I cannot narrow done all the restaurants and activities I want to do. Hiking, Mountain Biking, Zip Lining, Water Water Rafting…Yoga Spa in Sylva. We have 5 days and it doesn’t seem like enough time. But anyway – what I was getting at is that we are currently in eat everything that could go bad in the apartment mode. We have a lot a food still, but the random things. We have tons of hummus, eggs, lunch meat, apples, as well as frozen veggies and veggie burgers. I am going to be putting together some hodge podge meals the next couple days. Enter today’s lunch. I have been meaning to cook up some savory oats for a while, and given the circumstances today seemed like the perfect opportunity.

1/3 c. Bob’s Red Mill 5 Grain Flax Hot Cereal cooked in 1 cup water

dash of salt and pepper

frozen veggies – spinach, peas, and corn defrosted in microwave and added to cooking oats half way through

egg cooked over easy so yolk is still runny

sprinkle of red pepper and Parmesan cheese on top

Not bad. Bryan said it looked similar to eating hash and eggs. So if you are hesitant about cooking up some savory oats – don’t knock it, ’til you’ve tried it. I think some black beans, tomatoes, and avocado would be stellar in this combo.

I found a great article today that address a topic I have been meaning to do some research about: Should you limit your fruit in take?

I am very much against no carb/low carb diets. I believe very much in well rounded plates composed of 1/2 fruits/veggies, 1/4 protein, and 1/4 whole grain. But fruits do contain a lot of natural sugar so can you consume too much? Without doing the research, I made a mental note of everything in moderation, and usually try to make sure I’m only eating 3-4 servings of fruit per day. Or if I’ve had a lot of fruit and no vegetables – eat vegetables for my snack instead. My confusion about fruit started when I was playing rugby for New York last year. Many of my teammates were starting special diets like Paleo, and other things similar. They had to cut out fruit in the beginning and/or really limit their intake, based on the idea that you could wean your body of craving sugar.

My thoughts are that I really limit my intake of refined sugars and processed foods so if I want fruit I’m going to enjoy it. Fruit has lots of fiber and vitamins, as well as naturally occurring sugar. And it is definitely better to eat a serving of melon than a hunk of cake. This article in the Canadian news paper Globe and Mail, Confused about fruit? Here’s what you need to know, confirms the everything in moderation theory and that fruit is in fact good for you. The nutritionist who wrote the column says she recommends 4 servings of fruit a day to her clients. That is unless you are diabetic or prediabetic, then you need to be careful. The article also identifies some high and low GI fruits – low GI foods release their sugar more slowly keeping your blood glucose levels from spiking. Also, fruit that are lower in sugar content over all.

I’m glad I came across this article, it really cleared a lot of things up about fruit. Another piece helpful information I got from the article is serving size measurements. One fruit serving equals 1 medium-sized fruit, ½ cup of berries or fresh cut-up fruit, half a grapefruit, mango or papaya, ¼ cup of dried fruit, or half a cup of 100% fruit juice. I’m off to go enjoy some pineapple over my yogurt for dessert.

Now that it is summer, Tell me what is your favorite tropical fruit? Mine is definitely mango!

It only took me 2 weeks, but I’m finally answering a reader question. This reader happens to be one of my best friends from back home and she has a beautiful baby girl. So Jenna asked, What are 10 food items you find essential to have on hand in your kitchen at all times?

I’ve been thinking about this a lot. This question is sooo hard! But I’ve think I’ve narrowed it down. These are not necessarily my favorite foods, but the foods that are healthy and that I find I eat pretty daily.

Oatmeal – Of course this is first – bloggers loooove their oats! But seriously, there is a reason – Oatmeal has loads of benefits ranging from lowering cholesterol, curbing inflammation, and stabilizing mood. Oats are a good source of many nutrients including vitamin E, zinc, selenium, copper, iron, manganese and magnesium. Oats are also a good source of protein, soluble, and insoluble fiber. Oatmeal is also quick and easy to make, and can be hot or cold. Just make sure you stick with the old fashion kind. The instant flavored oatmeal is loaded with sugar. Final bonus, no need to buy organic – any canisters of oatmeal are 100% natural and the only ingredients are rolled oats.

Eggs – an egg contains 6 grams of high-quality protein that is easily absorbed by the body and all 9 essential amino acids. Eggs have gotten a bad rap for fat and cholesterol. However, science has shown that eggs do not significantly affect cholesterol levels in most individuals. Recent research even suggests that eating whole eggs may actually improve the cholesterol profile-even in persons whose cholesterol levels rise when eating cholesterol-rich foods.

Yogurt – plain low fat or non-fat yogurt to be specific, and I prefer greek yogurt. I actually used to dislike yogurt as a kid. The texture – I would literally gag. Now, I eat it daily. One serving is a significant source of potassium, phosphorous, riboflavin, iodine, zinc, and vitamin B5. Yogurt also contains B12, something usually an in animal proteins, vegetarians are commonly B12 deficient. Yogurt is also a high-protein food. As with oatmeal, try to stay away from sugar loaded flavored kinds. Add your own toppings like berries and nuts – Voila dessert!

Spinach– 1 cup has only 40 calories and contains all of your daily requirements of vitamin K and vitamin A, as well as almost all the manganese and folate your body needs. Spinach is an excellent choice for nutrition without high calories. It is also a good source of antioxidants, calcium, fiber, magnesium, and protein. Spinach is at the base of all my salads.

Carrots– I love carrots with their satisfying crunch with low calories and tons of vitamins/minerals. I buy a bag of baby carrots and regular carrots every time I’m at the grocery store. Everyone knows carrots are an excellent source of beta-carotene, an antioxidant. They are also good sources of fiber, vitamin B1, vitamin B2, vitamin B6, vitamin C, vitamin K, biotin, potassium and thiamine.

Hummus – the base of hummus contains – chickpeas, tahini (sesame paste), olive oil, garlic, and lemon juice. All these ingredients are nutritional powerhouses making hummus full of protein, healthy omega 3 fatty acids, and lower in calories despite the oil and tahini. Hummus is great as a spread on sandwiches, a dressing on salad, or dip for veggies. Spice it up my adding different vegetables/spices to the base for different flavors.

Nuts/Nut Butter – This is a give in. Nuts are another good source of protein. They contain good for you mono- and poly-unsaturated fats without containing any cholesterol. And nut butters taste ridiculously good!

Tofu or Skinless Chicken Breast – Lean protein. Low in calories and fat. Can marinade either in so many different things.

Apples – high level of flavonoids (more antioxidants!) thought to be responsible for prevent against a number of cancers and diseases. Also, the pectin found in apples aids with blood insulin levels. Apples, and other fruit, are complex carbs with a lot of fiber, that are slowly release sugar into your body curbing hunger. Phloridzin and boron also help with bone strength.

Bananas – Banana benefits of consuming this fruit daily come from their high level of Vitamin B and C, potassium, and fiber. The potassium in bananas are good for warding off shin splints – an old cross country running secret. Bananas are great for quick energy and are more filling than other fruits.

These really are foods that I eat mostly every single day. They are staples in my diet because not only are they healthy, but extremely versatile. They can all be prepared in a different ways and topped with just about anything you want in order to keep from getting bored with your healthy meals. I could actually make a whole days worth of meals with just this list. Breakfast – oatmeal with banana. Lunch – Spinach salad with hummus, carrots, maybe even a scrambled egg. Snack – apple with nut butter (almond is my favorite). Dinner – Baked chicken or tofu. Even a post work out smoothie – with yogurt, spinach, and frozen banana.

Bryan and I both got a late start this morning. We were up late talking last night. Nothing bad. We just never get to see each other anymore, and we decided to do some catching up when he got home from studying last night. He was super appreciative that I finally got the laundry done and cleaned up the bedroom. He said he owes me for picking up all the slack lately. On that note – my birthday is in a week!

Bryan also convinced me to try Clarition this morning to see if it clears up the headaches and congestion I have been having. I do feel better so far but not 100% yet – fingers crossed!

Breakfast this morning was almost an exact repeat from yesterday: 1 hard boiled egg, Sunflower millet toast w/ sunflower nut butter and a whole banana this time + coffee with touch of skim milk.

I went to a great talk this morning entitled ” Impact of Obesity and Metabolic Syndrome on Brain Structure and Function.” I definitely want to summarize this in a separate post because I think it is important.

I ran home for lunch. I’m so thankful I live only a 5 minute walk from work, and can take a nice lunch at home. I got into a bad habit this winter of eating lunch at my desk. But now that the weather is nice I really need to take advantage of the walk home. As well as, actually take a lunch break and get out from in front of the computer.

Lunch was my usual salad. Today’s edition was a bed of romaine/spinach topped with snap peas, grape tomatoes, handful of broccoli slaw, mushrooms, spoonful of black beans, spoonful of homemade hummus, a few cubes of raw tofu, and balsamic vinegar.

On the side I had a small mug – probably about 3-3.5 oz of low sodium roasted red pepper and tomato soup.

I finished watching an episode of Barefoot Contessa, brewed some blueberry-pomegranate white tea and was out the door back to work.

So quality vs. quantity – I definitely think that quality wins over quantity in just about every case. Clothes – I would rather have a few good quality staples that fit well, than a bunch of cheap stuff that does not fit well. Food – something that is smaller but higher in nutrients and taste, is definitely more satisfying than a whole bunch of something with no nutritional value. Same goes for blog posts. I think it is probably better to have posts with something to say than to post just to post.

With that said, my posts lately have just been sort of a food and exercise journal. This is something that I want to include in my blog to keep myself honest and to share how I try to stay healthy. However, this is not all I wanted my blog to be. I wanted to include more of the science of healthy living and how it can be fun. Another focus I planned on having, is how to stay healthy and active in the city while on a tight budget and strapped for time. Due to lack of time and wanting to keep up with my posts, it has just being easier to list off everything I have eaten. I kept going back and forth between being an “every meal blogger” and a “just the highlights.” In the end, I think to stay on task with myself and provide insight, I want to do every meal.

So how do I post about every meal and still make it high quality? I have a bunch of series in the works that I want to start devoted to days of the week. I also think maybe my evening post is the one where I can write about more than just what I ate and how many reps I did. My new iCalendar scheduled life should help with this too.It will be hard until I am done with the GRE’s in July, but I think I can manage. I have also been putting off a number of post ideas until I got my weight loss page up – and it will most definitely be up tonight – finally! I know, I know! I have been promising that since I started this blog in March. But you can trust me this time – cross my heart!

Are there any veteran bloggers out there with some advice?? I will take anything.

Final thought this afternoon, I came across these two helpful slide shows today. I know smoothies can be confusing – are they good? are they bad? They are most definitely good – if you do them right. Here is some help:

This is perfect considering I finally got my own little blender in our apartment. Smoothies will be showing up a lot because 1) I’ve missed them so! 2) I now have a personal, to-go cup blender 3) The weather is finally warming up!

Today I need need some therapy and stress relief all over the place. I woke up early to go to yoga this morning. My muscles and joints needed some therapy. Note new tie-dye headband. Perfect amount of stretch.

Morning Yoga

I have mentioned my love/hate relationship with yoga. Same today, but it was actually a really good flow class. One of the best I have tried. I really think I am going to make this Monday morning class a regular thing. Body therapy – check.

I definitely have a coffee addiction. I am not really upset about it. I am not a fan of the headaches I get in the afternoon if I haven’t had enough, but I am slowly cutting back so try and rectify that. I use to drink 3-4 cups a day. And we all know that a cup is more than just 8 oz. I am trying to cut back to just one morning cup. I love my morning coffee. Luckily, right next to the Mercer St gym is my favorite coffee place in the city, Think Coffee.

aahhhhh

Liquid therapy – check.

After work I spent some girl time with my co-worker. We went and got manicures and pedicures. She is from the Netherlands, and this was her first mani-pedi. They do not have nail salons in the Netherlands. It was fun and relaxing.

I had a long weekend, full of no sleep. I worry. I worry all the time about everything. I try to fix everything for everyone. I worry that solutions will make things worse. I worry about work, family, future, Bryan, finances, life. Worry, worry, worry. You get the idea. This weekend was full of worry.

In my previous life, pre-discovering health. To cope I ate. I ate salty, I ate sweet, I ate things I did not really want. I ate just to have something else to do other than to worry and fret. But it would back fire, because then I would worry about what I ate, and worry about my weight. So when you are trying to lead a healthy life and food was your fall back what do you do?

First understand emotional eating. Remind yourself that you are craving that food not because your body needs it, but because of something completely unrelated to food and hunger. I did not recognize this. I would eat the ice cream or the cake or the bag of tortilla chips and tell myself I deserved it because I was upset. Eating as a distraction did not make me feel good. Find other things you can do to occupy your mind other than oral fixation. Some ideas are all those listed above. Things that make you happy other than food.

Another thing I turn to now is exercise. Exercise is perfect because it makes you feel strong and better all around. You can work out anger through intervals or a kickboxing class. Or unwind with a jog or yoga. Remind yourself how strong of a person you are all around and do a lifting routine. Pick your favorite work out and go to town. You will feel so satisfied after. And choosing something you know you love will be a bigger motivator.

What if it is meal time and you are craving comfort food because of your stress? Well eat what you are craving, but make it healthy or in moderation. I know I crave carbs and ice cream. So dinner tonight, I made sure to include a nice serving of carbs: vegetables and protein over a nice bed of whole wheat Israeli couscous. I chose the larger pearl couscous because I knew the larger texture would be more satisfying.

I cooked the couscous according to package

Sauteed broccoli, edamame, peppers, and a little chicken in:

rice wine vinegar

sesame oil

salt and pepper

ground ginger

red pepper flakes

I flavors were actually really nice. More importantly the couscous hit the spot. The larger pearls are chewy like pasta.

Low fat or non fat greek yogurt is my go evening snack. It is similar to ice cream, but much healthier. Because it does not have all the sugar, fat, calories, and cholesterol. You can have fun with toppings. I like to add crunch like nuts or granola, for the pure pleasure, and berries, for natural sweetness. I do not feel deprived with this snack. If I’m really craving something more desserty I include some chocolate granola. I’m always licking my yogurt cup/ bowl clean.

So I’m going to go indulge in some snack therapy: plain non-fat chobani, hemp plus granola, and a bunch of fresh blueberries (some missed the yogurt and went straight to my mouth).

Guilt-free and delicious

I’m bound to get a good nights rest tonight with all the therapy indulging. Just remember next time you are down or stressed – do the things that make you feel good! And if only chocolate will do – then have that piece of dark chocolate, savor it, and do not look back.

What do you do on particularly stressful days (or weeks)? Any good stress busting work out routines?

Welcome!

Hi! I am Ashley. A life long food enthusiast, but with a newly developed healthy attitude. This blog is a place for discussion about healthy living, as well as a resource for the science behind healthy choices. Freckles & Spice is my commitment to stay on the path towards healthy and active lifestyle and to rediscover myself, all while balancing the fast paced, hectic life of a professional twenty-something living in the city. Thanks for stopping by!

First time here? Check out this post for a little introduction to what you will find here.